Annealing method for metallic tubes.



A. O. RUTZ.

ANNEALING METHOD FOR METALLIC TUBES. APPLICATION FILED MAY 23, 1915.

1,209,888. Patented Dec. 26,1916.

ARNOLD O. RUTZ, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

ANNEALING METHOD FOR -METALLIC TUBES. I

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 25, 1916.

Application filed May 28, 1915. Serial No. 30,993.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARNOLD O. RUTZ, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Annealing Methods for Metallic Tubes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention has for its object to provide a simple, economical and efiective method for annealing lengths of hard brass progressively from an original hardened end section, whereby the metal is rendered gradually pliable to be thereafter arbitrarily bent from its original hardened end. Thus the finished article, when bowed by pressure at its annealed end, will assume a gentle tangential curve with relation to its hardened end, whereby flattening breakage or abrupt curves will be eliminated. The method is particularly adapted for preparing stock tubes used in connection with igniter torches of the type as described and patented by me in Patent No. 1,101,146, June 23, 1914:, for flash igniter.

With the above object in view the method consists in what is herein illustrated, described and claimed,

The drawing illustrates an elevation of a tube in connection with a torch igniter, the said tube embodying the features of my invention and diagrammatically expressing the method of annealing.

Referring by characters to the drawings, A represents a valve-shell, which, in practice, is rigidly afiixed to a gas-supply pipe, not shown.

1 represents the shank section .of a hardened brass tube having its rear end threaded for engagement with a valve-shell, whereby said rear end is held rigid. The hardened shank section extends to the point indicated at :0 and from point x to 3 the tube is subjected to an annealing temperature that is progressively heightened, as indicated by the dotted line 2. Thus from the zero point 00 the tube is gradually softened to the point g, which also indicates the maximum annealing temperature and from this point the extreme end portion 2 of the tube is subjected to the maximum temperature uniformly throughout, as indicated by dotted line 2;. Although Various means may be employed for procuring this gradual heating, the preferred method is to dispose the tube over a bank of jets formed in a burner pipe 5, the jets being massed along the line 2, and being disposed successively closer together toward this massed portion.

The tube is straight throughout its length, as indicated at its outer end 2 by the dotted lines 2 and in this shape a tube treated by my improved method can be readily bowed upwardly, as shown at 3, to form a seat for an igniter head B. Igniter heads of the type referred to, when assembled in connection with the group of gas burners must be adjusted vertically, whereby the firing ports B- are brought into horizontal alinement with the burners in order that the flash jets may envelop said burners to effect ignition.

Hence the tubes may be furnished to the .trade in the straight form, as shown in the drawings, or they may be bent in the assemblage of the igniter torch. In any event when it is desired to adjust the torch-carrying end of the tube, the operator exerting pressure upon the torch-end, for example, downwardly, willreadily cause the tube to be curved in the direction as indicated by the dotted lines, whereby the said curve will merge into the straight section 1 tangentially. This sweeping tangential curve will be naturally assumed when pressure is put upon the outer end 2 of the tube, due to the fact that the softening of the metal from zero point a: to y is gradual. Hence the resistance offered to the pressure will cause the pipe to assume a gentle curve, as shown, whereby the outer end of said pipe is positioned with relation to its fixed end A, as may be arbitrarily determined by the operator.

Under the old method tube sections of this general type have been bent haphazardly to properly position the firing head, resulting in abrupt angles and breakage or compression of the tube at the point of strain, whereby its inner diameter is restricted. All of these objectionable features are overcome by my method of annealing as practice has demonstrated that by said method the pipe can be bent at any desired angle from the hardened end and will naturally assume a gentle curve from said hardened end in any direction desired.

It should be understood that after the tubes are treated by my method they are allowed to cool and are placed in stock to be utilized as pipe sections for flash igniters. When the igniter is assembled, as shown in Fig. 1, and it is desired to adjust the head B up or down to bring it in proper alinement with burners, the tube is grasped at its outer end near the head and gently bent downward to the position as shown in dotted lines, by the operator, and the uniform softened portion 2 can be readily shaped into a straight section as shown, or it may be curved as it is entirely pliable. lhe gentle curve beginning at the point 00 will be assumed when pressure is exerted owing to the fact that at point as the tube has been gradually softened outwardly to the point indicated at y. The section between the valve shell A toward point a" is in its original hardened state and hence it will remain straight. In other words the outer end of the pipe is of such pliability that it can be adjusted or bent cold by the operator in any desired form.

I claim:

1. A method of annealin lengths of hardened brass consisting of subjecting the length to a gradually increasing annealing temperature starting from a point predeterminedly selected from one end of said length of brass.

2. A method of annealing lengths of hardened brass consisting of subjecting the length to a gradually increasing annealing temperature starting from a point predeterminedly selected from one end of said length of brass and finishing the annealing Copies of this patent may be obtained'for five cents each, by addressing the method by subjecting the remainder of the length to the even maximum high temperature.

3. A method of annealing lengths of brass tubing consisting of subjecting the tubing to a gradually increasing annealing temperature from one end.

4. A method of annealing lengths of hardened brass tubing consisting of subjecting the tubing to a gradually increasing annealing temperature starting from a point distant from one end to a predetermined distance from the opposite end from which point the remainder of the pipe is subjected to the uniform high annealing temperature.

5. A method of annealing lengths of hardened brass consisting of subjecting the tube to a gradually increasing temperature from one end, whereby the tube when treated is progressively softened from the starting point of annealing to cause the same to be bent in a uniform curve described tangentially from the base when subjected to pressure.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand at Milwaukee in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin in the presence of two witnesses.

' ARNOLD O. RUTZ. Witnesses:

GEO. W. YOUNG, M. E. DOWNEY.

Commissioner 01' Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

